Method or art of making insulated wire



W. E. COOK. METHOD 0R ART OF MAKING INSULATED WIRE.

APPLICATION FILED APRA24| I917- Patented May 9, 1922.

'f/zm I WILLIAM E (100E, OENEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE PEERLESS INSULATED WIRE AND CABLE COMPANY, OF NEWYORK, N. Y., A COR- PORATION OF DELAWARE emme.

Specification of Letters Patent.

METHOD 0R ART OF MAKING INSULATED WIRE.

Patented May 9, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. COOK, a subject of the King of the UnitedKingdom of reat Britain and Ireland, residing at St. George, in theborough of Richmond, city of New York, county of Richmond, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theMethod or Art of Making Insulated Wire, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings,which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to a method or art of making insulated wire, andmore particularly to improvements in producing wire having an insulationconsisting of ,an absorbent body saturated or impregnated with asphaltumor other composition for waterproofing, and increasing the resistance ofthe coating material.

In a co-pending application of mine, Serial No. 164,302, I havedescribed a method or art which consists in spirally wrapping a cottonsliver about a wire coated with adhesive, and confining the sliver, incompressed condition, upon the wire by wrapping binding threads or cordsabout the compacted sliver prior to the saturation or impregnation ofthe sliver and the binding material, with an asphaltumior othercomposition. In this method or art, the binding threads or cords arewrapped about the sliver I in a spiral, the pitch of which is coincidentwith that at which the sliver is wrapped about the wire. wireconstructed in this manner is highly satisfactory, nevertheless there isa possibility that as the result of the exhaustion of the adhesive bondbetween the sliver and the wire, or throughout the sliver, the slivermight unwind, and the binding threads or cords, being wound spirallyabout it at the same pitch, would necessarily unwind with it.

By my present invention, I avoida possibility of this condition arisingby spirally winding the binding thread or cord about the cotton sliverat a higher pitch than that at which said sliver is wound and in areverse direction, thus causing each convolution of said binding threador cord to cross the lap of two or more succeedin convolutions of saidcotton sliver according to the pitch at which the binder is moved, in amanner to not only prevent the sliver and While I have found that a thethreador cord being simultaneously unwound, but to minimize any tendencyof the sliver to begin to unwind while the wire is being handled duringits installation.

By the method or art of my present invention, the covering braid for thewire is entirely dispensed with, and the covered wire is produced by asubstantially simultaneous, or continuous operation;

The invention consists primarily in the herein described method or artof making insulated wire consisting of winding a cotton sliver spirallyabout a conductor wire with the edges thereof overlapping, compactingsaid sliver upon the wire, spirally winding a strand of flexibleabsorbent material about and embedding successive convolutions therethecompleted-wire is waterproofed and the fibers of said sliver and saidstrand are bonded together; and in such other novel steps and practicesas are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularlypointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1. is a side elevation .of a machine showing the manner. ofapplying the cotton sliger and the binding to a conductor wire; an

Fig. 2 illustrates an apparatus used in the step of saturating orimpregnating the covering for the wire with asphaltum' or other viscouscomposition.

Like letters refer to like parts in both views.

In the practice of the method or art of my invention, a continuousstrand of a conductor wire a is passed through a bath of ad hesivematerial indicated at b and has imparted thereto continuous traverse ata substantially uniform speed, being passed over the rollers c to arewinding reel (not shown). During this traverse a continuous strip ofcotton sliver d is spirally wound about the conductor wire a, the edgesof succeeding convolutions forming a lap joint so as to securecontinuity of this cover and substantially the same thickness thereofthroughout.

' This sliver is applied by means of a rotating platform g adapted tocarry a container f for the sliver, the wire a passing verticaliy horn9, it passes through a rotating frame 6 through this platform, axiallythereof. After the application of the sliver to the -w1re, the wire withthe sliver thereon passes through a compressing horn ,9 having r0- tarymovement with the platform e. Immediately as the wire and the partiallycompacted covering therefor, passes from the is continuously rotated soas to wind said thread, orcord spirally about the cotton sliver. -Thisthread or cord is subjected to and finishing irons 5 5 2 tensioningstresses in any desired manner,

so as to causeit to tightly embrace the cotton sliver and be firmlyimbedded the-rein.

By applying the confining thread or cord immediately following the finalcompression of the cotton sliver, the desired density of the coveringmaterial is secured.

Preferably a plurality of independent parallel strands .are used, topermit the use of a fairly wide sliver confined at a number ofdifferent-pointsby the thread or, cord.

In order to cause the strand of thread or cord to be wound spirally uponthe compressed or compacted sliver, as desired, the. frame i is rotatedin a direction opposite to thatin which the platform 6 is rotated, andat lower speed so as to have the itch of the thread or cord, greaterthan t at of the sliver. In this manner the number of convolutions ofthe thread or cord per foot will be less than those of the sliver, and aplurality-of convolutions of said thread or cord will cross the lapbetween two or more suc-. ceeding convolutidns; of the said sliver,according to the'pitch at which the binding thread or cord is wound.

After the cotton sliver, has been applied to the wire, and confined inposition by the spirall wound strand, or strands of thread or cor thewire with its covering is passed through a tank is containing a mass ofviscous, insulating, adhesive and waterproof material, such as theasphaltum composition ordinarily used in making insulating wires. Thewire after the setting of this composition is waxed and passed throughpolishing giving the desired, and final finish therein.

By reason of the application of adhesive to the wire before wrapping thesliver spirally thereupon, this sliver will he firmly bonded to the wiresoas to resist displacement by the compression horns even though thesehorns do not have rotary movement.

While the covered wire is in the asphaltum or other similar bath, thecottonsliver will readily absorb this composition by reason of the factthat substantial "areas of the cotton sliver project between the strandsof thread The compression of the sliver will matthe fibers thereof, thethread or cord preventing expansion aftercompression"; and

the application of the asphaltum or, other composition causes the fibersto firmly adhere or set, and at thesame time firmly bonds .i

the thread or cord to the sliver. Tn the finished, product the bindingthreads or cords will not be perceptible as the cotton sliver willordinarily lap. thereover in a manner to completely conceal same.

Preferably, to permit the operation of 1 the machine used at high speed,I employ a cotton sliver having imbedded therein and bonded thereto,a-continuous cotton thread or cord which will serveto supplement theaction of the" binding threads or cords ap plied to the exteriorof thesliver, in holding the sliver in its compacted condition upon the wire.I

stantially simultaneous, or continuous opera- .tion to apply both .thecotton sliver and the binding thread or cord to the wire thereby gaininthe advanta e over the present In this manner, Iam enabled by a sub-'metho s of avoiding t e necessity for passing the wires successivelythrough a machine for wrapping the sliver about the wire, and a machinefor applying the cover thereto.

Having described the invention what I claim as new and desire tohaveprotected by Letters Patent is:

1. The herein described method or art of making insulated wireconsisting in winding a cotton sliver spirally about a conductor wirewith the edges thereof overlappin volutions thereof within said sliverwhile it compacting said sliver upon the wire, win

no I

is compacted, said strand being wound in a ing convolutions of saidstrands to facilitate the penetration of a viscous compositionthroughout the entire body of said sliver, and thereafter saturating orimpregnating said sliver and said strand with a viscous compositionwhereby the. insulating property is increased, the completed wire iswaterproofed, and the fibers of said sliver and I said strand are bondedtogether.

2. The herein described method or art of making .insulated wireconsisting in wind inga cotton sliver spirally about a conductor ninmate ing a plurality of strands of flexible, ab-

sorbent material spirally about and embedding successive convolutionsthereof within said sliver while it is compacted, said strands beinglaid in parallel lanes and being wound about said sliver in a directionthe reverse of that at which said sliver is wound, and at a higher pitchthan that at which said sliver is wound, with succeeding convolutionsthereof spaced apart, whereby said strands will cross the lap betweensucceedin convolutions of said sliver, and ducts w' be formed betweensucceeding convolutions of said strands to facilitate the penetration ofa viscous composition throughout the entire body of said sliver, andthereafter satu rating or impregnating said sliver and said strands witha viscous composition whereby the insulating property is increased, thecompleted wire is waterproofed, and the fibers of said sliver and saidstrands are bonded together.

3. The herein described method or art of making insulated wireconsisting in winding a cotton sliver spirally about aconductor wirewith the edges thereof overlapping, compacting said sliver upon the w aplurality of strands of flemible, absorbent material spirally about saidsliver while it is compacted, said strands laid parallel planes andbeing wound about said sliver in a direction'the reverse of that atwhich said sliver is wound, and at ahigher pitch than that at which saidsliver is wound, with succeeding convolutions thereof spaced apart,whereby said strands will cross the lap between succeeding convolutionsof said sliver, and ducts wil be formed between succeeding convolutionsof said strands to facilitate the penetration of a viscous compositionthroughout the entire body of said sliver, tensioning said strands whilethey are being wound to embed them in the sliver, and thereaftersaturating or impregnating said sliver and said strands with a viscouscomposition whereby the insulating property is increased, the completedwire is waterproofed, and the fibers of said sliver and said strands arebonded together.

In witness whereof, I hereunto afix my ature in the resence of twosubscribing WItIIQSSBS, this 9t day r April 1917.

' t. neon.

